Explore the Family Name Brass
The meaning of Brass
1. Scottish: habitational name from Birse in Aberdeenshire, metathesized to Brass. 2. English (Northumberland): variant of Brace. 3. North German: nickname from Middle Low German brās ‘noise, pomp’, a related form of brāsch (see Braasch). 4. German: topographic name from Brass ‘broom, gorse’, a common name element in the Lower Rhine and Ruhr.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Brass in the United States?
The surname Brass witnessed a slight dip in popularity from 2000 to 2010, according to data based on the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, Brass was the 11578th most common surname, but by 2010 it had fallen to the 11926th position, reflecting a 3.01% drop in rank. Despite this, the absolute number of people with the Brass surname increased from 2489 in 2000 to 2625 in 2010, a growth of 5.46%. However, when adjusting for population growth, the representation of the Brass surname per 100,000 people decreased by 3.26%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #11,578 | #11,926 | -3.01% |
| Count | 2,489 | 2,625 | 5.46% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.92 | 0.89 | -3.26% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Brass
In terms of ethnicity, based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, there were notable shifts within the Brass surname bearers between 2000 and 2010. The proportion of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander more than doubled, increasing from 0.48% to 0.88%. There was also a substantial increase in those reporting two or more races, jumping from 1.29% to 2.32%. The percentage of White individuals with the surname Brass declined slightly from 77.70% to 73.60%. The Hispanic segment also saw an increase from 1.93% to 2.82%, while the Black population increased from 18.32% to 20.08%. The proportion of American Indians and Alaskan Natives remained relatively stable, with a minor increase from 0.28% to 0.30%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 77.7% | 73.6% | -5.28% |
| Black | 18.32% | 20.08% | 9.61% |
| Hispanic | 1.93% | 2.82% | 46.11% |
| Two or More Races | 1.29% | 2.32% | 79.84% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.48% | 0.88% | 83.33% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.28% | 0.3% | 7.14% |